Various ignition systems for light-duty combustion engines are known in the art and are used with a wide range of devices, such as lawn equipment and chainsaws. Typically, these ignition systems do not have a battery, instead they rely upon a pull-rope recoil starter and a magneto-type system to provide electrical energy for ignition and to operate other electrical devices. Because such systems can only produce a finite amount of electrical energy and still achieve certain energy efficiency and emissions goals, there is a need to generate and manage electrical energy in the system in as efficient a manner as possible.